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The comprehensive guide to travel in the Himalayas

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Ostrich and the Fool






Once there lived a fool. He had great expectations of himself and his future. Living in a glass house was his dream. He wanted to enjoy the nature around him every moment in the day. One day, he actually built a beautiful, delicate glass house for himself. He could see everything! He could lay down on his bed and look at the beautiful nature outside. Wood apple was one of those fruits he couldn't resist. He planted ten wood apple trees all around the glass house and went to sleep feeling satisfied and blissful.

Days went by, then months. The trees grew to their full size and towered over the glass house. At last, the fool could see the fruits growing. He was the happiest fool in the whole land. He would have his favorite wood apples now. The wood apples grew in size, they were huge  and ripe.

One night, as the fool was dreaming about his wood apples, he heard a loud sound and the shattering of glass. He thought "Oh my god! Someone is destroying my house!" He took his gun and came out. Then there was sounds as if millions of glasses were shattering. He saw that all his wood apples were falling on top of his glass house and shattering every bit of it. He was helpless as he watched his house crumble to pieces.

He also didn't have much use of the wood apples after and he didn't have a house either.


Then there lived an Ostrich. He was clever and all aware. He knew what was happening around him all the time. He lived on the banks of the great river. Everyday he saw the water rising, everyday he knew that it would eventually break its banks. But he continued to stay there.

One day, when the river actually broke the banks and the flood began, he stuck his head inside the sand and was very happy. He said "Now that I cannot see the waters, I am safe!". Eventually the waters rose and the whole land was flooded. Inevitably the Ostrich was swept away and he drowned.

The world is the glass house. It is being shattered everyday. We can hear and see the effects each year as the weather deteriorates. To enjoy beautiful gifts like the Himalayas, we need a beautiful planet, which is more diseased today that any past ages. There are studies continuously published highlighting the stark and gory effects we are causing our mother earth.

Then there are two kinds of people, the fools and the Ostriches. We can make a big difference by being neither and by being Human Beings and taking action. Which one are you?

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Walker’s paradise Dalhousie, the jewel of a hillstation – beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas part 15



Exploring Dalhousie—a jewel in the Himachal hills

It took all of half an hour to 45 minutes at most for the early morning to be over. When we left the valley scene below us, half the valley was still in the shadows of our own hill. It would take some more time for the sun to reach our hotel and the tree-lined avenue running in front of it.
We retired to our rooms after knocking at the restaurant for breakfast. We felt the day started quite well and wanted to make the most of it. The brightness of sunshine outside had elevated our spirits greatly.
Usually breakfast in modest hotels and guest houses in the northern parts of this country comes in three or four standard options. Bread, butter and milk with omelette is the most common option, followed by Aloo Parantha and Dahi, Puri and Bhaji or Cornflakes and milk. Both of us settled for the first option. It would be filling and acceptably tasty at most places. Aloo Parantha would have been a bit risky in a cold place like this, we felt. When properly made, a crisp and soft Aloo Parantha with Dahi and a pinch of salt tastes heavenly. But it is a delicate dish. Slight undercooking or overcooking may leave you highly dissatisfied. Specially when you know how good it could taste. It is all about expectations, I guess.

A short flight of stairs took us to the road. It was nearly 9 and the valley fully lighted up. Sun had risen high enough now to reach our road and the faraway snow peaks on the east nearly invisible in slight haze. 
DaDalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful himachal, majestic Himalayas - Dalhousie valley bright and smiling in the morning sun
Dalhousie valley bright and smiling in the morning sun

We decided to explore first our part of this small world. Subhas Chowk, the main junction of two circles of 8, lay behind us. We went forward.
Yesterday was our first day and we had reached late in the day. We couldn’t perceive the grandeur of the surroundings fully. Now in bright daylight a narrow winding road lay invitingly in front of us. Tall trees flanked the road.
Upper Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - tree-lined avenue
Tree-lined avenue - upper Dalhousie
The hill sloped gently upwards on the left and when we looked closely, we could detect wire fences going up—these were occupied territory. The narrow road curved on the left and we could just see a viewpoint at the turn of the hill road.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - viewpoint on Viewpoint Avenueas
Viewpoint on the Viewpoint Avenue

This viewpoint commanded the west valley view of Dalhousie and looked very inviting. “Imagine how good that would be if it were heavily snowing or raining now.” I told Tukai. He smiled, “But it is a bright day and April. Would you like to sit for a moment?” I smiled back. He knew very well I don’t like to stop when roaming unless dead tired.
As we looked on the right, dense tree cover greeted us. It was just like a forest. But when we looked closer we could detect signs of houses nearly hidden away behind the trees. 
Upper Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - dense tree covered hillside
Dense tree covered hillside - upper Dalhousie
Our progress was very slow. There was no time or destination target for us. The varieties of trees stopped us every now and then. We marveled at the beauty of the trees on this stretch of road.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - fascinatingly tall trees
Fascinatingly tall trees
The more we went forward the trees looked to be older and more densely formed. After crossing the viewpoint the road curved left and then right. A number of old trees with specially thick trunks adorned the right flank of the road.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - shaded stretch with jostling old trees
Shaded stretch
This was a stretch with particularly heavy shades. Every stretch on such a hill road has its own character. For a brief period the shady area was liked. A flock of jet black mountain crows kept Tukai occupied for some time and I searched for interesting breaks through the trees. By and by in due course of events we went ahead leaving the shade behind and reached the place that turned out to be the most interesting and attractive to both of us in Dalhousie.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - multi-layered attractive place
Multi-layered attractive place
In no time we noticed the sign of Sacred Heart. This is a very old school and this sign was for its junior wing with a West Valley view we presumed. The whole place was deserted, the trees were of all types a few of them old guards and most interestingly we could savor roads at more than three levels within a very short space.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - a place we liked
A place we liked
Everything in the scene in front of us was in place, right where it should be. The only thing lacking was a living moving human being.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - road on the right nearly hidden - all four levels visible now
Road on the right nearly hidden - all four levels visible now
The Sacred Heart entrance on the right was nearly hidden from view. The main road veered right and then took a turn left. Hill stations, specially 150 year old hill stations like Dalhousie still holds some mysteries for its suitor.
Before leaving the place I couldn’t resist to have a quick look towards east through the trees.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - clouds adorn the sky - snow peaks hidden now
Clouds adorn the sky - snow peaks hidden now
Clouds had risen from their sleep in the valley below and gathered over the hills. Those were the last of the clouds, non-threatening, harmless—now only ornamental to the sky.
I looked nearby. Creepers engulfed the whole broad trunk of a giant tree nearby and reached its branches.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - giant tree
Giant tree

Throughout the morning we noticed splashes of red amongst the trees. A few trees were full of the red flowers and attracted immediate attention. We didn’t know the name of the flower, but appreciated its bright red color. 
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - splash of red
Splash of red
The road finally moved left and around the hill—we reached the other side of the hill. This was the other arm of the smaller circle of 8.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - hill on the other side
Hill on the other side
The hill opposite was with good tree cover and also showed modern constructions. Civilization had spread over the hills all around.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - shopping street
Shopping street
My friend mentioned about this street. Shops, banks, post office lined up the street—this was the Shopping Street. Not good to look at but necessary. A number of shops carried the old colonial ambiance by their quaint looks.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - company on the deserted road
Company on the deserted road
We quickly completed the round and returned back to our valley side arm of the road. Two ladies walked fast towards us on an otherwise empty road. It was noon, not very hot, but still lunchtime.

I asked Tukai, “Go in?” “A few minutes more.” Tukai was not fully satiated. I also had in mind the empty road going downhill that we met earlier. This special road we had met after crossing out hotel.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - come, explore me
Come, explore me
This road branched out from the main road and went downhill. It feels good to get on to such unexpected pathways. I noticed the tree a little ahead full of red flowers. Going down looking sideways at first I couldn’t recognize our hotels. These hotels were built from rocks below up to five stories high to reach the upper level of the main road.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - an unusual view
An unusual view
The sun was now high overhead. No shadow of the hill on the valley below. With dense tree cover all around them, the colorful little houses lay supremely peaceful under the sun. The whole world was so beautiful.
Dalhousie, jewel of a hillstation, beautiful Himachal, majestic Himalayas - peaceful under the sun
Peaceful under the sun
We turned back. A memorable sunlit morning lay behind us.